The intimate psychology of a nativity is infinitely debatable. What is judged to be culturally inappropriate or self-destructive is rather subjective, in the eye of the beholder.

However the Vimshottari Dasha is where the "rubber meets the road" in Jyotisha. Factual events occurring in the lifetime should match correctly with the timelords and the houses they control, or else there is something wrong with the birth data.

I am an engineering manager and have started reading
vedic astrology by my interest.

I have read Laghu
parashari few times and have following simple queries
without its clarification i am not getting ahead:

1. As per laghu parashari, only functional nature of
planet is important so there is no relevance of natural
malific / benific in prediction??

2. When shloks
of laghu parashari says, benific or malefic influence of
planet, is that effect for 1. its own house or 2. House
in which it is deposited or 3. Both?

3. While
considering aspects of the planets, should we consider
functional nature or natural nature? (Like jupiter is
naturally benific but may be functionally malefic in
some ascendant, than should we consider jupiter aspect
good or bad in that?)

Regards

A: Namaste,

Thanks
for your inquiry. I'm happy to know that you are
beginning a serious study of the samayavidya.

Laghu Parashari (Jataka Chandrika) examines the
planetary rulership basis of the Vimshottari Dasha
timeline system, which is based in the rotating graha
rulerships beginning with the at-birth ruler of
Chandra's
nakshatra and proceeding algorithmically
throughout a pattern lasting 120 solar years.

Firstly may I strongly recommend to abandon the use of
emotionally overcharged positive-negative adjectives
such as "benefic, malefic, good, bad, harmful,
dangerous, evil" etc.

Every graha is functionally
helpful for certain psychological or material outcomes
and that same graha can be dysfunctionally obstructive
for other outcomes. There is no "good planet" and no
"bad planet". Rather, the actions of the graha are "good
for a specific purpose" or "not so good for a specific
purpose" – much in the way that rain is good for growing
crops but rain is not so good for drying laundry.

Please do not fall into the trap of fearful
superstition which has so permeated the culture of
Jyotisha in recent centuries. If you are interested in
the empirical results of particular planetary yoga,
simply locate a public figure nativity which features
that yoga, and study its effect in the context of a
well-known public person's biography. It is not
necessary nor is it ever recommended to approach
Jyotisha with moral judgment,
anxiety, or fear. Jyotisha
is a spiritual gift which is meant to be used to help
people to understand their lives and appreciate the
presence of the Divine in each moment.

Interpreting the outcomes of the Vimshottari Dasha
periods requires knowledge first and foremost of the
KARAKA function of the graha, and secondly of the
BHAVA-PATHI assignments from the radical lagna, from the
Chandra lagna, and from the navamsha-varga lagna.
Additionally, consider any samchara-graha such as
transiting Rahu-Ketu particularly as they affect
Chandra, or Shani as He affects every bhava.

The
best way to study Jyotisha is to examine as many
nativities-with-biographies as possible. In other words,
study nativities for people whose life story is known to
you. These can be historical figures, celebrities, or
members of your family. Study the outcomes of the
Vimshottari dasha periods in their life stories.

Again,
the most important characteristics of the bhukti ruler
will be its

The mahadashapathi has powerful
effects during the initial swabhukti when it sets the
overall theme for the entire mahadasha. But after the
swabhukti is completed, the individual bhukti-pathi
assume the major
roles. The mahadasha-pathi continues to "set the stage"
with major themes, issues, and purpose during the
remainder of the mahadasha. The mahadasha-pathi is similar to a
theatrical director in drama, overseeing all; but after the swabhukti it
is the bhukti-pathi who create the results .

Wishing you every happiness, healing from sorrow,
guidance by inner light, and success in all of life's
endeavors,

Professor Shani, a natural challenger papagraha,
tends to produce a tough period. If Shani is a good house lord, the results might be fabulous - but getting there always, with Shani, requires burning off some serious karma.

Professor Guru, a natural
pleasure-giver, tends to produce ease. If Guru is a bad house lord (e.g. for Libra lagna) His period might give poor results - but getting there always, with Guru, is fairly easy, because Guru carries the results of our charitable actions from parallel lives , into the current life.

if Kuja mahadasha occurs before age 28, expect mainly the physical, athletic, warrior dimension of Mars - none of the business edge, competitive savvy, etc. that emerges after Mars matures (one of the reasons Kuja Doshais much more of an issue for marriages before age 28)

2. Angle between the mahadasha-pati (planet which rules the major period)and the bhukti-pat (planet that rules the sub-period)?

If the angle from mahadasha-pati to bhukti-pat is favorable - 5/9 - 1/1 - 1/7 - 4/10 - then by and large the period should be comfortable and prosperous.

for example, the mahadasha of Vriddhipathi-11 is a gainful period in general

bhukti of vidyapathi-5 favors conception or acquisition of children and is also excellent for students, working with adolescents, and everything to do with creativity, politics or entertainment

A planet occupying bhava-7 will give the spouse considerable power during its period

4. Which houses from chandra does the mahadasha-pati own and operate?

During a Surya period for Makara lagna native, if Chandra occupies Dhanushya, Ravi will rule
9th-from-Chandra - a fortunate angle which suggests emotional healing benefits from receiving wise religious advice. Even if other circumstances of the dasha-bhukti in effect would be difficult, this one important angle from radix-Chandra-to-bhukti-lord, provides an emotional blessing

5. Nakshatra location of the period Lord

Nakshatra effects are more subtle. Nakshatra, the 27/28 mansions of the Moon, derive historically from the most ancient lore of Jyotisha - well before the emergence of solar angles.

Therefore, Nakshatra reckon our subtle spiritual, intuitive and emotional condition with special delicacy. (One reason why the Moon's Nakshatra is so crucially important to marriage matching!)

6. Which Varga houses "wake up" when the mahadasha-pati is in control?

E.g., for Thula lagna, Chandra is always karmesha-10 , and good therefore for career. Now check the D-10 (dazamamza-10 ) - is Chandra a good lord in D-10 as well? Is Chandra in a good house and sign?

In a good angle from the mahadasha-pati? Otherwise well positioned? If so, expect not just "good" results from the Chandra period - expect greatness! (See how the dashamamsha affects world political leaders. )

Exempli gratia, how would Chandra affect the marriage? Is Professor
Somana a good house lord in Navamsha? Things might go very well in career, and very poorly in marriage, or vice versa. Check out all the major vargas to get the bigger picture.

7. Major transits of the bhukti lord.Esp the Pushkara Navamsha.

Note: generally, the ONLY transits which have a measurable, major impact on life events are transits OF -or- TO the current Bhukti lord.

Transits of Shani and Rahu are the only exceptions; they have their own clout independent of the current bhukti lord; however if Shani is also the bhukti lord during a major movement of gochara Shani, expect double-impact.)

Movements of fast planets like Chandra, Surya, Zukra, Budha have very little noticeable effect. However, during a bhukti of Chandra, Surya, Zukra, Budha - if a bigger planet like Guru or Shani, Rahu or Mars transits over Chandra, Surya, Zukra, Budha's natal position - yes, there is an effect for sure.

Occurrence of Auspicious events = strongly tied to the Transits of the bhukti-pati through thePushkara Navamsha.

It is important to track the transits of the bhukti-pati and note when this empowered graha enters a Pushkara Navamsha, and especially when it transits a"Pushkara Bhagya" degree (there is only one Puskhara Bhagya degree in each rashi.)

Transits of the Vimshottari Bhukti lord (1) from beginning to end of a Pushkara Navamsha (2) upon the sensitive and auspicious Pushkara Bhagya Degree and (3) across a Vargottamsha navamsha (there is one in Vrishabha, one in Karkata, and one in Dhanushya) are harbingers of excellent fortune .

The fortune manifests according to the karaka nature of the graha, not according to
bhava lordships in the radix or any varga. E.g., Guru brings children, Zukra brings relationships, Mangala brings competitive wins, Surya brings recognition and applause, etc.

The nature of
the reinvention is very much influenced however by the bhukti-pathi in power during this 18-month transit.

If Rahu occupies the Challenging Angle of radix 12th-from-Moon, Rahu's movements during Chandra Mahadasha should be watched very carefully in case they move into an axis where they AMPLIFY subconsciously-driven negative patterns in the person's behavior.

The good news is that, if Rahu occupies 12th-from-Moon and Rahu is carefully watched for the 10 years of Chandra Mahadasha, and the negative desires in the native 's subconscious are allowed to reveal themselves in a therapeutic setting, any and all of the sanctuary-based healing modalities can be effective to provide A profound healing.

What is the client's chronological age and social position at time of planetary period?

A younger person is naturally concerned with different goals, and lives under different constraints, than an older person.

Exempli gratia, the fleshdeath of a parent would be a catastrophic shock to a child; by contrast a sad, but acceptable, loss to a mature person.

Lightbody Lift-off is an event associated with periods of
maraka rules-2 and
maraka rules-7 for the native; dhana-pathi-2 +L7-from-Moon for mother;
dhana-pathi-2 +maraka rules-7-from-karakas for various relatives, etc. However, a frightening topic for most people and its occasion must be interpreted for likelihood in different age ranges - and always delicately, in social context

Dasha/bhukti of Vidyapthi-5+dharmesha-9 is a prime time to conceive children in the reproductive years - presuming vidyapathi-5 and L/9 are in good condition. But after the reproductive years have faded, expect these planets to produce grandchildren, creative works like books and theatrical plays, and religious inspiration.

Occasionally world leaders do arise from the ranks of blue-collar labor; sometimes an obscure bureaucrat becomes a national celebrity. But usually, predict a range of benefits for
beneficial planets that are consistent with the person's existing social position. A lifetime peak of recognition for one's creativity might be a Pulitzer Prize, or it might be winning the State Fair Blue Ribbon for the year's most beautiful quilt.

Predict fame or achievement consistent with the person's cultural aspirations. Predict
embarrassment or loss according to the person's existing values. As the slogan goes,
one man's ceiling is another man's floor.

Q:Is it the initial sign on the Vimshottari (change of periods) that controls the whole line, or is each segment ruled by the sign opposite the date until the next date. You kept referring to 9/04-4/07 as the period of Jupiter.

A:Your Zukra Mahadasha (major period of Venus in the Vimshottari Dasha system) runs from 9/1994-to-5/2004. Venus Mahadasha is always 20 years long, but the first day of Venus Mahadasha can occur at any time, from age zero to age 100, depending on the degree of the Moon at birth.

Your bhukti [sub-period] of Jupiter occurs WITHIN the 20-year Mahadasha of Venus. This bhukti runs from 9/2004-to-4/2007. The effects of the bhukti are more noticeable, because the bhukti period is shorter and the effect of the bhukti lord is more acute.

Using the medical metaphor, a Mahadasha lord creates the chronic, low-level condition which
subtly influences everything during its tenure. The bhukti feels more
ature. Bhukti effects are more dramatic, but briefer. Bhukti effects really get our attention, but when they are finished, our minds again notice
that chronic underlying condition which the mahadasha creates in the background.

We tend to notice the acute symptoms more readily, but it's the relationship between the chronic "background" psychic pattern of thoughts and emotions from the mahadasha, vis-a-vis the acute "foreground" relationships and experiences from the bhukti -- plus the effect of relevant transits -- that gives us the total dasha-bhukti experience.

Wishing you every happiness, healing from sorrow,
guidance by inner light, and success in all of life's
endeavors,

Sincerely,

BPL

Q:

Do each of the planets bring consistent lessons each time they cycle thru the vimshottari dasha?

Is there a book or reference that would tell me what each brings?

A : Great question! This is the heart of Jyotisha.

Each planet has its own personality and characteristics.

It's as if each planet's signal pattern sits in the aura. Sometimes the signal transmits near to the field of consciousness, and the signal transmits far from awareness. Often the signal is transmitting but it is recognized only within the realms of the subconscious.

Occurrence of that planet's major periods (mahadasha and bhukti) means that planet's effects will come nearer to our field of consciousness, we will be more aware of that effect.

But are the effects in"real life" - , the realm of the five senses - always that same?

For example, does each Saturn bhukti feel the same?

No.

A portion of the effect will be the same. E.g., for a Shani bhukti: Shani occupies a certain sign and degree; He aspects and is aspected by other deities. He has a consistent character, which determines the way he carries out your responsibility-conformity-effort agenda. That character will be evident in each Shani bhukti. It will always be about responsibility-conformity-effort and each Shani bhukti will be a more mature reiteration of His characteristic way of making your social obligations clear to you.

So, Chandra/Shani, then Rahu/Shani, then Guru/Shani - then (yowza) Shani/Shani - will all have the typical bear-down characteristics of Shani, say maybe 50% of the total experience is "classic Shani".

But the majority of any dasha/bhukti effect during its term, is caused by the **angular and primordial relationship between the mahadasha lord and the bhukti lord.**

If Saturn has a good relationship to the mahadasha lord, the overall experience may be quite beneficial and productive, even though marked by Saturn's typical agenda of discipline, austerity, responsibility, etc.

If Shani occupies a poor angle from the mahadasha pati, the auspice is not ideal.

But of course, Shani might occupy a challenging angle from the mahadasha pati and a very good angle from radix lagna, or chandra-lagna. He might rule good houses in navamsha. So any number of benefits may emerge from e.g., a Chandra/Shani period - even if Chandra/Shani occupy shad-ashtaka6-8 angles, from each other.

We can't be simplistic.

But at the same time, there are major patterns and there are minor patterns. The major patterns have the strongest impact, and we attend to those first in our predictions and in our life planning.

So, continuing with the Saturn example, some bhukti's of Saturn, with the worst possible relationship to the mahadasha lord, will give just devastatingly difficult results. (Survivable, of course, but undeniably tough.)

There is a rule in Jyotisha that says the bhukti of any planet in the third house from Mercury will give very rough going due to accelerated karmic payback, when Mercury is the mahadasha lord and that planet in 3rd-from-Mercury is the bhukti lord.

If for example one's radix Saturn position has lots of stress built into it anyway, and Saturn happens to be located in the radix 3rd-from-Mercury, and THEN the vimshottari dasha rolls around to the Mercury-Saturn period, you just know that depression and psycho-emotional struggle in general, poor choices caused by stress, usually relative state of poverty, delays, demands of short-term travel, lots of unsustainable responsibilities... will be the result.

The nice thing about knowing a bit of Jyotisha is that one can plan for these periods and not over-react or take it too personally when the karmic reality arrives. Neutrality is always the success element in any of these forecast-able difficult periods.

The opposite result is also entirely possible. That is, Saturn might occupy an excellent angle from the mahadasha lord. For example, the 10th-from any planet will generally produce good public reputation, professional achievements, recognition for valuable service to society, etc. Saturn will always induce high levels of discipline. But, in his position 10th-from a beneficial mahadasha lord, he can easily channel that discipline and austerity - tapasya -into a solid, productive work ethic that brings praise to the person for difficult but important tasks accomplished with dignity and skill.

Hard work and delays, which are Saturn's signature behaviors, will always be part of any Saturn bhukti.But under the right planetary circumstances, the experience of hard work can be very satisfying. And as we all know, certain delays are life-saving.

So, long answer to your great question!

"Yes " there are characteristic similarities between all Saturn bhukti, or all Venus bhukti, or all Jupiter bhukti, which arise from the essential behavior of that planet in your rashi chart (and so some extent your navamsha chart too.)

But "No" - because the majority of the effect comes from the particular angular relationship between the mahadasha-pati and the bhukti pat.

It's important to remember that Jyotisha is a "vidya"and not a mechanical science. We can't apply a specific percentage to the "radix planetary character" versus the "angle of relationship" proportion because of the MANY complex factors involved in evaluating BOTH the planet's nature AND the mahadasha-bhukti lord relationship.

That's why Jyotisha is so darned complicated and why predictions are always offered humbly and with a grain of salt :)

There is a lot involved in the evaluation. Most individual astrologers, no matter how good they are, will at most modestly consider themselves as senior students of the Vidya of Jyotisha.

It is always possible to miss an influential factor when we are making predictions based on dozens of real-time interactive subconscious and conscious perceptual effects. Nevertheless a calm and skillful survey of the major planetary factors will give us a reasonable map of the 120-year Vimshottari timeline that can allow us to prepare for the easy and less-than-easy times ahead!

You can gain some additional direction on the issues of relationship between mahadasha lord (mahadasha-pati) and bhukti lord (bhukti-pat) by reading The Astrology of the Seers , by David Frawley. Frawley is a noted scholar of Vedic culture and history. Some of his conclusions are controversial among historians, but Frawley's books always provide thorough presentation of the subject. There is a heavy dose of Vedic mythology/religious precept in the book which might give it a foreign aura to beginners; but he writes very clearly and his books are a blessing to a motivated audience.

Q:I went to a website that produces Vimshottari dasha printouts, and typed in my husband Obafeimi's birth date.

His birth time is not known, but I wanted to see if by inputting a variety of possible times I could narrow in on some that looked more likely than others.

However, it seems like all day during my husband's day of birth, in his city of birth (which we know well) this Vimshottari Dasha timeline does not change.

Is it possible that nothing will change in the Vimshottari Dasha for his date of birth, so that it doesn't matter what time he was born?

A:Heavens no!

It matters tremendously what time he was born!

The Vimshottari Dasha will change significantly with each passing minute of the birth time.

The Vimshottari dasha start-point is set via the degree of the Moon.

If Obafeimi had been born at 03h00, his Moon would occupy Shravana Nakshatra which is ruled by the Moon. 03h00 birth time Moon resides in the 1st quarter of Shravana; 1st quarter (padaa) is ruled by Mars, so at 03h00 he would be born into a Moon/Mars period.

If he were born at 12h00, the Moon would still be in Shravana but Moon would have advanced to the third quarter of Shravana that is ruled by Saturn, so he'd be born into Moon/Saturn period as the start point for his life script.

If he were born at 21h00, the Moon would be in 4th quarter of Shravana, the quarter-lord is Venus, so the start point would be Moon-Venus (almost the end of the Moon mahadasha).

If Obafeimi were born at 23h59, his Moon would occupy the final seconds of the 4th quarter of Shravana, quarter lord is Surya (Sun) and although technically he would be born into Moon/Sun period, the sun bhukti would be almost expired so that his Vimshottari dasha instruction-script would start into the Mars/Mars period in early May of 1959, just weeks after his birth.

So yes, all day on 04 July 1977, in Lagos, Nigeria, Obafeimi's Moon occupies Shravana Nakshatra .

Yet, every few hours, the Moon proceeds into a new quarter of the Nakshatra, and when the Moon's birth quarter changes then the starting bhukti changes.

The starting bhukti is the quarter-lord.

Each quarter also has sub-lords which are used to determine the tertiary and quaternary Vimshottari period lords.

"We have happiness of mind and freedom from anxiety to just the degree that our minds are tamed....

Once we want happiness and do not want suffering , we should engage in the means to achieve happiness and eliminate suffering.

Practice is based on reasoning, not force; it is up to oneself.

The time for engaging in these techniques is now.

Some feel, 'I did not succeed in this lifetime; I will ask a lama for help in my future life.'

To think that we will practice in the future is only a hope.

It is foolish to feel that the next life will be as suitable as this.

No matter how bad our condition is now, since we have a human brain, we can think; since we have a mouth, we can recite mantra. No matter how old one may be, there is time for practice. However, when we die and are reborn, we are unable even to recite Om mani padme hum.

Thus, it is important to make all effort possible at this time when we have obtained the precious physical life-support of a human."

Q:"If Saturn is badly placed, will it give bad results only for the entire 19 years of its MahaDasha?"

A: There is no such thing as a "badly" placed graha nor are there "bad" results.

To frame the Jyotisha enquiry in this self-harming fashion is to fall victim to superstition, self-criticism and self-doubt.

All placement of Shani (and every graha) are purposeful and beneficial.

Some placements are easier and more effective for some purposes and more difficult or more effortful for other purposes, but each placement is fully intentional. It is similar to a college curriculum, where some classes are relatively easy and familiar but other classes are more challenging and require much more effort to earn a passing grade.

There is no such thing as an evil planet or an evil dasha period. However, due to fear which paralyzes our intelligence, ignorance may falsely assert that certain graha create punishment. This is utterly false and yet, once experiences what one believes one should be experiencing! (Review your dogma.)

Each graha in its full configuration -- which bhava ruled, which drishti cast, which drishti received, which dasha timings -- was put into place by the eternal spirit of the person during the planning stage before birth.

Each graha should be * honored * in its detailed character. There is no justification for fear or dread.

Earth is a school.

Professor Shani is a strict teacher. There is a lesson, or series of lessons, which the spirit is craving to learn.
The lessons are in fact the offering of a Gift, the gift of self-knowledge. In
English, the word student derives from Latin studere
which means to be eager. Students are the eager ones.

Make a comparison between one's own Shani placement versus the nativities of those with similar Shani, and see how those others handled their Shani mahadasha. Public figures are good, because many of their life details are available on the internet, e.g.
Wikipedia.

In general, all graha provide steady influence during the lifetime, but naturally during the mahadasha the effects are heightened, and especially during the swa-bhukti and chidra-dasha, effects are more dramatic.

Wishing you every happiness, healing from sorrow,
guidance by inner light, and success in all of life's
endeavors,

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama,
Jyotisha

"And he said to them,
"Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is
like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and
what is old."